Europe Triathlon

Press Release from Challenge Family.

Based on many years of cooperation with the European Triathlon Union (ETU) and the CHALLENGE FAMILY GmbH, in 2016 the official European Middle Distance Triathlon Championships (1.9km of swimming – 90km of cycling – 21.1km of running) are going to be held in Austria for the first time. To be precise, it is the weekend of 21 August 2016 when it is all about the European Championships in the Tyrolean Walchsee-Kaiserwinkl region and approximately 2,000 athletes are welcomed in the Tyrol.

After the ETU/CHALLENGE European Championships in Kraichgau/GER (2012), Barcelona/ESP (2013), Paguera-Mallorca/ESP (2014) and Rimini/ITA (2015) the European Middle Distance Championships will be making their way to Austria. With the organisers of the CHALLENGE Walchsee-Kaiserwinkl the committed team around race director Andreas Klingler, a team that has already managed to bring thousands of athletes into the region in the last few years, was chosen by the selection boards from ETU and CHALLENGE.

“The CHALLENGE Walchsee-Kaiserwinkl has for several years now stood out for its brilliant organization, its breath-taking routing through the incredibly beautiful Walchsee-Kaiserwinkl triathlon region and love down to the last detail.  The joint decision by the ÖTRV, ETU and CHALLENGE FAMILY to hold the 2016 ETU European Championships there is a natural consequence of many years of experience and untiring focus on the athletes. I am glad to be able to continue the extremely successful cooperation with the ETU also in 2016 at the CHALLENGE Walchsee-Kaiserwinkl”, CHALLENGE FAMILY CEO Zibi Szlufcik is delighted by the selection of the Tyrolean tourist region as venue for the European Championships.

Already in autumn 2014, the ÖTRV committee, after productive first talks, had given its consent for this big event. Approximately 2,000 athletes are expected, headed by a big Austrian delegation. “We are happy to have high-calibre international championships in our country also in 2016. We aim at motivating many Austrians for this event to use this home event in the Tyrol for athletic achievements”, said ÖTRV president Walter Zetting and the Tyrolean triathlon president Julius Skamen, who are looking forward to the title matches on home ground.

Besides of the Elite European Championships for Women and Men, also the Age-Group European Championships for Woman and Men are held. The title matches of the paratriathletes and of course numerous supporting events will also take place within the scope of the European Championships.

In Austria qualification for the age-group athletes commences already this May. The ÖTRV expects a similar quota as for the Olympic Distance and Sprint European Championships in Kitzbühel 2014. There almost 400 Austrian athletes ensured that medals rained down on the Austrians.

For the Walchsee-Kaiserwinkl region the selection as venue for the European Championships is an important economic-touristic impulse.  “With the selection as venue for the 2016 European Championships the organizers of the CHALLENGE Walchsee-Kaiserwinkl have landed a coup. As Mayor of Walchsee I am of course proud that this international triathlon in the Kaiserwinkl with the start and finish area in our municipality gains even more importance by being the 2016 official ETU European Championships. This reinforces our reputation as internationally approved triathlon venue”, announced the Mayor of Walchsee, Dieter Wittliger, who is looking forward to many guests in 2016.

ETU President, Renato Bertrandi, himself a formidable long-distance athlete, is pleased to see the growth of participation over long-distance within the Region. “We have seen clear indications that our athletes, both Elite, Para and Age-Group, like the test of a longer distance race. With previous events being held successfully and with the ‘going-long’ appetite not diminishing, I am very pleased to see that the Middle-Distance Championships will be heading to Tyrol, which is a place of outstanding beauty. I also like the idea that athletes can go and test the course this year in the open race.”

But not only in 2016 is the Walchsee area going to turn into a witches’ cauldron. For this year’s test run (21 – 23 August 2015) the organizers expect more than 1,000 starters, since already this year the athletes are fighting for direct qualification slots for the upcoming European Championships.

The Chairman of the Kaiserwinkl tourist board, Gerd Erharter, joined the well-wishers immediately after the decision was announced. “We are delighted that the already popular and renowned Challenge Walchsee-Kaiserwinkl can now even enhance its prestige by hosting the 2016 European Championships. This is a token of esteem for years of excellent work and the extraordinary quality standard of this event”, says the pleased tourist chairman.

The European Championships are organized by the AGO-Sports GmbH, a sports agency based in Wattens. With Andreas Klingler an experienced organizer heads the European Championships project. This year the CHALLENGE Walchsee-Kaiserwinkl is organized by Klingler and his team for the sixth time and annually the quality and the quantity of the event are improved. “We are pleased that the CHALLENGE Walchsee-Kaiserwinkl was selected by the ETU to hold the 2016 European Middle Distance Championships. We can guarantee our athletes a perfect organization, a dreamlike backdrop and a demanding and fair course. Having already welcomed triathlon top stars in the last years, we are looking forward to welcoming the European elite and to hosting an exciting race among the pros as well as the many age group athletes”, Klingler is ready for the title matches.

Information on the CHALLENGE Walchsee-Kaiserwinkl 2015: www.challenge-walchsee.at
Photos: can be used free of charge